Zero head space sampling system and method

ABSTRACT

A sampling apparatus is disclosed including a sample container with a removable cap; an inlet conduit adapted for introducing a stream of fluid into the sample container; an outlet conduit adapted for removing a stream of fluid from the sample container; a valve in the inlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and into the sample container; a valve in the outlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and out of the sample container; and a controller for actuating the valve in said inlet and outlet conduits at a predetermined time interval such that a stream of fluid is passed into the sample container until the container is filled with the fluid. A method of collecting samples with a zero headspace in the collection sample container is also disclosed utilizing the above sampling apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a sampling system and method and more particularly, this invention relates to an automatic sampling system and method which is advantageously used in collecting samples in sample containers with a substantially zero head space.

It is known to use sampling apparatuses in applications such as waste treatment, stream monitoring, pollution abatement, industrial effluent control, water management studies, and environmental law enforcement. Waste water streams, for example, have to be checked periodically to seen if the streams meet with current standards for clean water controls and therefore sampling of the streams must be obtained to analyze such sample in order to check that the streams are in compliance with the regulations regarding the environment.

For example, in sampling waste water streams, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that a volume of sample of a waste water stream be collected at four evenly spaced intervals over a twenty-four hour period (every six hours). Each of the four sample volumes must be collected in individual containers and all headspace (air gap) in the containers must be eliminated. Elimination of air gap from the container is important because air in the sample container can cause inaccurate analysis of the components of interest in the collected sample. This sampling required by the EPA is usually done manually by grab samples. However, with grab sampling uniform sampling is usually not carried out because sampling techniques of individuals can vary from individual to individual. Usually an air space is collected in the sample container using manual grab samples.

An alternative to grab samples is an automatic sampling system. An automatic sampling system would save an operator's time and cost in obtaining the required samples, particularly when samples are required at, for example, six hour intervals every twenty-four hours.

There are known automatic liquid samplers which use positive sample recovery. However, a positive sample recovery type automatic liquid sampler does not adequately eliminate all of the head space in a sample collection container during operation. Therefore, such sampler would not satisfactorily comply with the EPA's requirements of collecting samples as discussed above.

It would be desirous to provide an automatic sampling system and procedure to collect samples in containers with a zero headspace.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is directed to a sampling apparatus comprising:

(a) a sample container with a removable cap;

(b) an inlet conduit adapted for introducing a stream of fluid into said sample container;

(c) an outlet conduit adapted for removing a stream of fluid from said sample container;

(d) a valve in said inlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and into the sample container;

(e) a valve in said outlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and out of the sample container; and

(f) a controller for actuating the valve in said inlet and outlet conduit at a predetermined time interval such that a stream of fluid is passed into the sample container until the container is filled with the fluid.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed at a method of collecting samples of fluid in a container with zero head space comprising activating a valve means such that a fluid stream is flowed into a sample container near the bottom of the container and exits the container near the top of the container sufficient to purge the head space in the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the sampling system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of a sample container of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention showing a system comprising multiple sample containers of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a sampling system of the present invention, generally designated as numeral 10, which includes a controller 11 which may comprise, for example, a timer 12 and a relay system 13.

It is understood that the controller can be a microprocessor or other conventional type of controlling means. In this instance, using a timer 12 and relay system 13, a sample cycle is initiated at a time interval determined by the timer 12 which then activates the relay 13. The relay 13 energizes (opens) an inlet valve 14 and an outlet valve 15 allowing sample fluid to flow to and fill a sample container, generally designated as numeral 16, and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. The flow of fluid through the sampling system may be under pressure or carried out by any conventional pumping means.

The valves 14 and 15 may be any conventional solenoid valve. The sample container 16 is filled with fluid through an inlet conduit or tube 17 and the sample fluid overflows out through an outlet conduit or tube 18 eliminating any headspace or air gap in the container 16. At a programmed interval, the timer 12 de-energizes (closes) the solenoid valves 14 and 15, respectively, which stops the sample flow to the container 16 and seals the sample container 16 ending the sample cycle. The sample container 16 filled with fluid is then removed by disconnecting a pair of valves or fittings, generally indicated by numerals 19 and 20, on the inlet tube 17 and outlet tube 18, respectively, of the sample container 16.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown in more detail the sample container 16 with inlet and outlet tubes 17 and 18 and fittings 19 and 20, respectively. The sample container 16, in this instance, comprises a tubular or cylindrical in shape body portion 21 with a closed end 22 forming a fluid chamber 23 and an open end tubular neck portion 24 of a smaller diameter than the body portion 21 integral with the body portion 21 which is threaded 25 and adapted to receive a removable closure cap means 26.

The cap means 26 is disposed on the top of the neck portion 24. The removable cap means 26 contains an outside surface 26a and an inside surface 26b. The inside surface 26b of the cap means is tapered such that it is generally conical in shape when viewed in cross-section. The outside surface 26a is generally frustoconical in shape when viewed in cross-section. The cap means 26 includes a flange portion 27 with a shoulder 27a adapted for receiving a threaded closure ring member 28 for securing the cap means 26 to the top of the neck portion 24 of the container 16.

The inlet tube member 17 passes through the cap means 26 into the chamber 23 to near the bottom of the container 16. The outlet tube member 18 is integral with a bore 29 at the apex of the cone of the inside surface of the cap means 26. When the sample container 16 fills, the fluid in the container overflows out through the cone-shaped inside surface of the cap means and through the outlet tube 18, and, thus, any headspace or air gap in the container chamber is eliminated by the flow of fluid pushing the air gap out through the bore 29 and through the outlet tube member 18.

The fittings 19 and 20 may be any means for shutting flow of fluid to and from the sample container 16 and detachably removing the sample container 16 from the inlet and outlet conduits 17 and 18 respectively. For example, fitting 19 can comprise two valve means 19a and 19b and fitting 20 can comprise two valve means 20a and 20b. Once the container 16 is filled with fluid the valves 19a, 19b, 20a and 20b can be closed in a fluid-tight manner and detached at point 30 and 31 such that valves 19a and 20a remain with the sample container 16. Valves 19a and 20a together with container 16 are removed and taken to a laboratory or use point for analysis.

The fittings 19 and 20 are preferably quick-connect types which comprise two sections coupled together with each section containing a shut-off valve. The quick-connect fittings can be coupled and uncoupled by a pushing and/or pulling action. The fittings separate at points 30 and 31 into two sections indicated by numerals 19a, 19b, 20a and 20b. One section, 19b and 20b of each of the fitting 19 and 20, respectively, after disengagement remains on the inlet tube 17 and outlet tube 18, respectively, of the sample lines containing valves 14 and 15 of the sampler which blocks any sample flow to the container 16. The other section 19a and 20a of each of the fitting, after disengagement, remains on the inlet tube 17 and outlet tube 18 connected to the sample container 16 which seals in the contents of the container 16 while the container is transported to a laboratory for analysis. This procedure eliminates the possibility of any head space developing in the sample container due to evaporation or spillage of the sample. Exemplary of the above quick-connect fittings 19 and 20 are commercially available SWAGELOK instrumentation quick-connect fittings which are commercially available from Cole-Parmer Instrument Company, Chicago, Ill.

The container and tube members can be made of any material which will not adversely effect the samples and the analysis of the components of interest in the samples. For example, in collecting waste water sample, the container is made of glass and the tubing members are made of TEFLON (trademark of E. I. duPont DeNemours and Company). The size of the container and tube members may vary depending on the amount of sample desired and the applications in which the sampling system will be utilized. For example, conventional 1/8 inch diameter instrumentation tubing and 40 milliliter sample containers can be used.

Any number of sample systems described with reference to FIG. 1 can be connected in series or in parallel to obtain multiple samples. With reference to FIG. 3, there is shown one embodiment of the present invention wherein multiple samples can be collected in sequence over a predetermined period of time. In FIG. 3 there is shown four individual sample systems with a common sample inlet and sample outlet. While the preferred embodiment, in this instance, contains four individual sample systems, the present invention is not limited to that number. Any number of individual sample systems can be used. The sampling system shown in FIG. 3 will be referred to herein as "the sampler" and indicated generally as numeral 40.

The sampler 40 shown in FIG. 3 consists of four individual sample systems, indicated generally as numbersls 41-44, with a common sample inlet 45 and a common sample outlet 46. Each of the four sample systems utilizes two normally closed, two-way solenoid valves 51-58 and a specially designed sample container 16a-d which is identical to sample container 16 as described with reference to FIG. 2 above. There is one solenoid valve 51, 53, 55 and 57 on the sample inlet 61, 63, 65, 67, respectively, of each sample container 16a-d and one solenoid valve 52, 54, 56 and 58 on the sample outlet 62, 64, 66 and 68, respectively, of each sample container 16a-d. Quick-connect type valves 71-78 of the type described above, are shown in lines 61-68 for removing any of the sample containers 16a-16d from the sampler 40.

A controller (not shown) activates one of the sample systems 41, 42, 43 or 44 by energizing the appropriate set of solenoid valves to allow fluid flow into the corresponding sample container 16a, 16b, 16c or 16d. The sample fluid fills the container and overflows out the outlet tube. The sample container design allows it to be completely filled eliminating all headspace in the container. The sampler's controller deactives the solenoid valves after a designated time period which blocks in the sample container, therefore preventing evaporation of the sample.

As an illustration of one embodiment of the present invention, the sampler's controller is programmed for a twenty-four hour sampling interval containing four evenly spaced sampling cycles; one cycle every six hours. The first cycle occurs at six hours into the sampling intervals and fills sample container 16a, the second cycle occurs at twelve hours and fills sample container 16b, the third cycle occurs at eighteen hours and fills sample container 16c, and the fourth cycle occurs at twenty-four and fills sample container 16d. It is understood that any desired number of cycles and any desired period of time for each cycle can be used.

If the sampler 40 is not in a sampling cycle, all the solenoid valves are closed which blocks in the sample containers and allows no sample flow from the sample inlet to the sample outlet. When the sampler 40 is activated any of the individual sampling system 41-44 may be actuated and the appropriate solenoid valves opened.

For example, as discussed above a first sampling cycle may begin at six hours and thus, the sampler's controller energizes solenoid valves 51 and 52 which opens the valves 51 and 52. The sample then flows through the sample inlet manifold 45 and enters sample container 16a through solenoid valve 51 and the sample container's inlet tube 61 which extends to the bottom of the container. Sample flow fills the sample container 16a from the bottom first. After the container is full, sample flows up into the cone-shaped cap, shown in FIG. 2 as numeral 26 through the bore 29, and overflows out of the sample container's outlet tube 62, through solenoid valve 52, and out the sample outlet manifold 46.

All headspace in the sample container 16a is eliminated during this filling procedure. The cone-shaped top 26 of the sample container 16a and the flush mounting of the outlet tube 62 in the top eliminates the possibility of air bubbles and/or headspace in the sample container 16a.

The sample continues to overflow in the manner described above until the sampling cycle time interval elapses. The sampler's controller then de-energizes the solenoid valves 51 and 52 which closes the valves 51 and 52 stopping sample flow to sample container 16a and ending the first sampling cycle. The closed valves 51 and 52 also block in the sample container 16a thus preventing any evaporation of the sample collected in container 16a.

Each of the four sampling cycles for sample containers 16a-d in sample systems 41-44 are identical in operation as described above. The difference is that the sampler's controller determines the filling sequence by energizing the appropriate pair of solenoid valves. For example, in the second sampling cycle, solenoid valves 53 and 54 are energized filling sample container 16b.

In carrying out one embodiment of the present invention, a sampling system is used to collect samples of a waste water stream. The sampler automatically collects four samples in individual sample containers at six-hour intervals over a twenty-four hour period eliminating all the headspace in the sample containers. The four samples are then collected by personnel and analyzed for components of interest. Components of interest to be analyzed may include, for example, total purgeable halocarbons (RC1) such as vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, perchlorethylene, ethylenedichloride (EDC) and the like.

EXAMPLE

An automatic sampler of the present invention used in this example was similar to the sampling system shown in FIG. 3 except that quick-connect fittings 19 and 20 were not used. Samples collected automatically using the atuomatic sampler were compared to samples collected manually by manual grap samples and the comparison data is described in the table below. The samples were analyzed for parts per million (ppm) levels of RCls for the comparison. The RC1 content in a sample is an indication of whether or not all of the headspace in a sample container has been eliminated from the sample container. Low concentrations of RC1s in the sample container indicates a loss of the volatile RC1s due to headspace in the containers or to evaporation. The results described in the table below show that the automatic sampler had less loss of RC1s overall than the manual grap samples.

A unique feature of the sampler is that it automatically collects these multiple individual samples with no headspace and then keeps them over the twenty-four hour period with no loss from evaporation.

    ______________________________________                                                              AUTO-                                                            COMPARATIVE   MATIC                                                            GRAB SAMPLES  SAMPLER   %                                               TIME   (PPM RCl)     (PPM RCl) DEVIATION.sup.(1)                               ______________________________________                                         12:00 PM                                                                              0.13          0.15      7.1                                             8:30 AM                                                                               0.12          0.11*     4.3                                             10:30 AM                                                                              0.12          0.13      4.0                                             12:57 PM                                                                              0.15          0.15      0.0                                             10:30 AM                                                                              0.13          0.12*     6.3                                             2:10 PM                                                                               0.16          0.20      11.1                                            8:30 AM                                                                               0.13          0.17      13.3                                            ______________________________________                                          .sup.(1) % Relative Standard Deviation ± 0.01                                *These samples were exposed to the atmosphere for a short period of time      before analysis.                                                          

What is claimed is:
 1. A fluid sampling apparatus free of air gap or head space comprising:(a) a sample container adapted for holding a fluid with zero head space, (b) a removable cap means removably fastened to said sample container, said cap means having an inner and outer surface, said inner surface of said cap means being tapered such that the inner surface of the cap means is generally conical in shape when viewed in cross-section; (c) a bore at the apex of said conically shaped cap means for passing fluid therethrough; (d) an inlet conduit passing from said cap means outer to inner surface and adapted for introducing a stream of fluid into said sample container; (e) an outlet conduit passing from said cap means inner to outer surface and adapted for removing a stream of fluid from said sample container, said outlet conduit integral with said bore at the apex of said conically shaped cap means; and (f) means associated with the cap means for purging to eliminate any air gap or head space within the container comprising a first valve on said inlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and into the sample container, a second valve on said outlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and out of the sample container, and a controller for actuating the first and second valves such that a stream of fluid fills the sample container and overflows out of the sample container for a predetermined time interval such that any head space in said containter is eliminated.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap comprises a portion that is frustoconical in shape.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap is adapted for providing the container with a zero head space when the container is filled with fluid.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet conduit is positioned near the bottom of the sample container.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet valve comprises a quick connect valve.
 6. The apparatus of claim wherein the outlet valve comprises a quick connect valve.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller means comprises a timer and relay.
 8. A sampling system comprising at least two sample systems in parallel, said sample systems each comprising:(a) a sample container means adapted for holding a fluid with zero head space; (b) a removable cap means removably fastened to said sample container, said cap means having an inner and outer surface said inner surface of said cap means being tapered such that the inner surface of the cap means is generally conical in shape when viewed in cross-section; (c) a bore at the apex of said conically shaped cap means for passing fluid therethrough; (d) an inlet conduit means passing from said cap means outer to inner surface and adapted for introducing a stream of fluid into said sample container means; (e) an outlet conduit means passing from said cap means inner to outer surface and adapted for removing a stream of fluid from said sample container means, said outlet conduit means integral with said bore at the apex of said conically shaped cap means and (f) means associated with the cap means for purging to eliminate any air gap or head space within the container comprising a first valve means on said inlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and into the sample container means, a second valve means on said outlet conduit for passing a stream therethrough and out of the sample container, and a controller means for actuating the first and second valve means such that a stream of fluid fills the sample container means and overflows out of the sample container for a predetermined time interval such that any head space in said container is eliminated.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the sample containers are filled in sequence at predetermined time intervals. 